CNN LISTENING C1 EXAM Junta de Andalucía

http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/30/oxford-english-dictionary-chief-editor-michael-proffitt-christiane-amanpour/
http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1401/30/ampr.01.html

 Here you have the video and transcript of the Junta de Andalucia's C1 English Listening Comprehension exam, September, 2014. Quite challenging,  I would have thought.
And this is the link to the
Exam Questions:http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/educacion/webportal/web/educacion-permanente/prueba-unificada-de-certificacion

Tablets and smartphones as Xmas presents

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/are-smartphones-and-tablets-really-good-christmas-presents-to-give-to-children-1.2034364

Read the article and speak for 3 minutes about the topic.
Are you or your children/relatives device addicts? Can you daydream? What would you do you if you couldn't access internet or technological devices for two days?

David Cameron on Benefits and EU Immigrants

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11260208/David-Cameron-warns-of-EU-exit-over-migrants.html

Have a listen to Cameron's speech. Summarize the main ideas. What is the case like for EU immigrants in Spain? Are they entitled to social welfare benefits?

JOBS in the UK

http://jobs.theguardian.com/health/

The Fleadh. Yearly Festival of Irish Music and Dance.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/playlist/generic/2014/0811/636398-rte-radio-1-at-fleadh-cheoil-sligo/

Watch the short videos and pretend you have been to the Fleadh (Gaelic word for Traditional Celtic Music and Dance Festival.) Write a postcard of 150 words to a friend back home telling him/her about your impressions of the Festival. Look up the words for the instruments http://www.fleadhcheoil.ie/competitions/ and write about the general atmosphere.

Welfare versus work.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/welfare-versus-work-does-it-pay-to-take-up-a-low-paid-job-1.1944722?page=3

Read the article and write down a list of at least ten topic-specific lexical items which you want to be able to use in the dialogue with your classmates. Is welfare an incentive or a disincentive to work. What is the Welfare System like in your country? Use the internet to find out about Social Welfare support in Spain and tell of cases in your family circle or in your circle of friends.

Independence from Catalonia at last!!!!!!!???? Or the right to vote???

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/27/catalonia-spain-referendum-independence

What do you think of Mas's ideas on democracy and the right to self-determination?

Maternity/Paternity Leave.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/irish-policy-on-parental-leave-is-maternalist-1.1940295?page=2
What golden opportunity does Ireland now have as regards Parental Leave? What are the statutory rights in Spain on this issue?

Addiction to Tablets (technological ones)

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/high-tech-parents-low-tech-kids-1.1934899?page=2

Read the text, jot down the main points and debate them with your classmates. How do you monitor your kids' use of technology? Do you snoop? Do you know of any severe cases of device addiction? What treatment/therapy is there available?

Spanish_English Dictionary

http://www.linguee.es/ingles-espanol/traduccion/cheesy.html

How to leave your job.

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/cpl-career-advice/2014/09/09/how-to-leave-your-job/

Read the article and summarize the advice orally to your classmate. Ask them about thir own experience of leaving jobs.

Cannabis effects on brain.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/teen-cannabis-users-less-likely-to-finish-school-get-a-degree-1.1923398

Co-ownership with siblings.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/first-time-buyers-guide/the-pros-and-cons-of-buying-with-siblings-1.1902827
Read the article and decide whether co-ownership might be a good option to get onto the property ladder.

CV Tips.

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/cpl-career-advice/2014/08/25/5-ways-your-cv-is-ruining-your-interviews/

Read the article and give a brief oral summary to a classmate.

What makes a city friendly?

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/transport-and-tourism/dublin-named-fifth-friendliest-city-in-the-world-1.1891506

Are holidays good for you?

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/holidays-are-good-for-you-aren-t-they-1.1885057

Successful working women.

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/what-works-for-women-at-work-1.1830162?page=3
Read the article and compare what three of these women do to reconcile working life and personal/family life.
Prepare an oral presentation, summarizing the main points dealt with.

Donegal TV feature on Bundoran. Write a short report.

Phrases and idioms

http://www.phrases.org.uk/a-phrase-a-week/index.html

Cycling versus driving in Dublin

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-road-less-travelled-one-family-ditches-the-car-1.1805632

Read the article and talk about the pros and cons of ditching your car.

Job Perks

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/perks-that-work-employee-benefits-becoming-ever-more-enticing-1.1797509

Make out a list of the perks mentioned and talk about what you think of them with your classmate. Make more suggestions
What Job perks do you know of in Spain?

Euromaxxx Interesting Reports

http://www.dw.de/program/euromaxx/s-7555-9798

CLIL materials

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/implications/

Top American High Schools

 http://huff.to/1jzuRey

Read the article and report back to your classmates about "ill-prepared graduates", and "how schools are evaluated".

Early Bird or Night Owl?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/01/morning-people-lark-early-bird_n_5044818.html?ir=Arts
Read the article and position yourself on it by giving examples of people you know. Speak for 4 minutes on the topic, using the vocabulary and ideas expressed in the article.

Climate Change

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/rising-temperatures-to-affect-key-areas-of-human-activity-1.1744407
Read the article and prepare an oral summary with the main points.
Watch the video and write out the transcript.

The Guardian Videos

http://www.theguardian.com/video

The do's and dont's of job hunting

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/cpl-career-advice/2014/03/04/the-dos-and-donts-of-job-hunting-when-you-already-have-a-job/

Read this article and give a brief oral summary of it in class. Have a debate about whether the advice is good and make more suggestions. Talk of your own experience of job-hunting.

New York Times videos. Listening Links.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/latest-video/

Education. U.S. Public Sector vs Private Sector Pay.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/why-are-private-school-teachers-paid-less-than-public-school-teachers/280829/

Job Interview Questions and Answers

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/top-20-interview-questions.htm

How to act at a job interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSylCmes5dw

What to do if you hate your job.

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/cpl-career-advice/2014/02/25/what-to-do-when-you-start-thinking-i-hate-my-job/

Is Scotland better than Ireland?

https://soundcloud.com/irishtimes-travel/24-02-14-is-scotland-better

Woody Allen Time Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLAYYrxtJfI

Listen to the interview and summarize what it tells us about him.